Assalamu alaykum. Peace be with you.
Over the past four decades, we at Muslim Women Australia (MWA) have been proud to serve our community and help them meet their needs through our various initiatives, programs, and continued advocacy.
Now, in 2023, we continue to stand with our community so that our resilience, struggles and fears are not overlooked. They must be acknowledged, alongside our pain and anger, facilitating a safe and trusted space for the expression of our suffering, where our voices are not silenced or belittled.
With a heavy heart, representing the sentiments of countless women whose hearts are shattered by the ongoing atrocities of the ethnic cleansing in Gaza, we can no longer bear witness to the immeasurable pain and heartache inflicted upon the Palestinian people by Israel.
We recognise that this is not a time for celebration, and we cannot continue as we were.
With this in mind, we have made the decision to cancel the MWA 40th Anniversary MWA at 40: Still Pioneering, Always Empowering that was planned for Friday 17th of November 2023.
These are hard, painful moments we are witnessing at this critical moment in time, where a whole nation is being wiped out, again, homes destroyed and flattened, again, all in front of our eyes.
Justice is the key that encourages us to appreciate and understand the essential unity and equality of all humans. However, all the while, we are told the Occupier/Oppressor has the right to defend itself from the occupied people who are already living under oppression.
We are witnessing ethnic cleansing with no shame or guilt, and all we can do is try to speak up for justice and the right for all to exist with dignity and respect. We need to use a language that reflects the severity of the situation and to acknowledge the 75 years of oppression and apartheid faced by the Palestinian people.
Alongside the Australian Muslim community, we stand with Palestine and speak up against the double standards and one-sided commentary made on the grave situation. This is the Joint Statement: Joint Statement by Australian Muslims to Speak Up and End the Double Standards in the Commentary on Palestine
I hope that we can sincerely pave the way for a world where no man, woman or child must endure the horrors of violence and oppression.
As we move forward into the future, I hope that we can come together with AUTHENTIC engagement, holding the principles of fairness, justice and compassion for ALL, waging peace and together sowing seeds of hope in all hearts.
Yours sincerely
Hajeh Maha Krayem Abdo OAM
CEO
